Higher development .... construction - activity .... destruction reveals decline ....

B.D. No. 3424a February 2nd 1945

A progressive development must also be recognizable, for it will always express itself in a constructive way, never in a destructive way. Whether we are dealing with works of creation in nature or with the results of human creativity, it will always be possible to determine a purely external progress, which is equal to a constructive activity. Where, on the other hand, destruction or annihilation become recognizable, spiritual decline can also be unhesitatingly concluded, but this is only possible in the human stage, whereas progress, i.e. upward development, can always be recorded in the works of creation in nature, because even the apparent destruction or annihilation, which was not brought about by human will, results in the emergence of new creations in a higher degree of maturity, thus purely externally progress can also be recognized. But the human being can also accomplish works which in no way signify a higher development, which never promote the development of the human being but rather disadvantage it. These are the works which lack all love, which, even if they seem to build up, only pursue the opposite .... to destroy or to support a general chaos. Accordingly, every work can be examined for its value before God, and afterwards the spiritual state of maturity can also be recognized and judged at any time. Everything a person does should be viewed under the mirror of neighbourly love .... it must serve fellow human beings or other creations for their preservation or reproduction, it must be active neighbourly love in the true sense of the word. And this will always mean spiritual higher development. But where neighbourly love is not practiced, people's works will also show decay or complete destruction and consequently not betray any spiritual progress either ....

Amen